Blue Jays Promote Top Hitting Prospect to Triple-A

Orelvis Martinez notched 17 homers in 70 Double-A games, earning himself a promotion to the edge of the big leagues.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Orelvis Martinez is moving on up.

The Blue Jays' top hitting prospect was promoted to Triple-A on Monday, now just one call-up away from the Major League level.

In 70 games with New Hampshire this year, Martinez hit .226 with 17 homers and 10 other extra-base hits. The infield prospect struggled out of the gate in 2023, posting a .089 average in his first 15 games. However, he cut down on the swing-and-miss and found his groove in June. Martinez hit .298 in his final 30 games before promotion, walking 21 times to just 22 strikeouts in that time.

"He's just back into a little bit more steady approach," GM Ross Atkins said a few weeks ago. "The power has come, the balls are now going over the fence."

The 2023 turnaround earned Martinez back into Baseball America's most recent Top 100 list, where he slid in at No. 67. The infielder's power has always been undeniable, but improvements in approach and swing decisions have fuelled his recent strides and earned his promotion.

"The improvements to Martinez’s swing decisions year over year have been significant," Baseball America's latest breakdown said.

Martinez will now join a Buffalo Bisons infield featuring Addison Barger, Spencer Horwitz, Davis Schneider, and Otto Lopez.